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Topics: Crime, US News, Celebrity, New York, Los Angeles
Rachel Lang
Topics: Crime, US News, Celebrity, New York, Los Angeles
A jury in Los Angeles have found Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape.
The jury declared the now-70-year-old ex-Hollywood producer was guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct count.
The attack for which he was found guilty took place in 2013 on a former model and actress known in court as Jane Doe 1.
Jane Doe issued a statement shortly after the verdict.
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"Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back," she said, as per Reuters.
"The criminal trial was brutal and Weinstein's lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did. I hope Weinstein never sees the outside of a prison cell during his lifetime."
The Los Angeles Superior Court also revealed the jury was hung on several counts, notably charges involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
Mrs Newsom, who previously disclosed she was Jane Doe 4 in the trial, is a prominent documentary filmmaker and is married to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The jury in the Californian court revealed it was unable to reach a verdict on counts related to Mrs Newsom's allegations.
Elizabeth Fegan, Mrs Newsom's legal representative, said in a statement as per Reuters: "While we are heartened that the jury found Weinstein guilty on some of the counts, we are disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on Jane Doe 4.
"She will continue to fight for all women and all survivors of abuse against a system that permits the victim to be shamed and re-traumatized in the name of justice."
The jury was also hung over counts pertaining to accusations made by another unnamed woman.
A mistrial was declared on those counts against the former Hollywood kingmaker.
Weinstein has not, however, escaped justice.
The sex offender was convicted of sexual misconduct in New York in February 2020 and was extradited to a Los Angeles prison in July 2021.
Weinstein is appealing his New York conviction and prison sentence.
As for his most recent guilty verdict, the ABC reports that prosecutors and defence attorneys had no immediate comment on the verdict.
According to Reuters, Weinstein faces up to 18 years in prison on the counts for which he was convicted, but other factors could see that sentence bumped up to 24 years.
Lawyers will return to court in the coming days to deliberate the aggravating factors relating to the case.